YEMEN: Security forces captured Omar Ashour, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's commander in the in Ghail Bawazir district, and his son Abdullah, in the Shahir district in Hadramout province. The two were captured at a checkpoint and are thought to have been preparing to leave the country.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Purge tops the chart with 36.4 million, well above expectations against a 3 million production budget (and maybe 20 million in marketing). Fast and Furious 6 placed with 19.8 million that crosses the 200 million mark domestically (and almost double that worldwide). Now You See Me shows with a strong 19.5 million and 61.4 million domestic against a 75 million budget. The Internship debuts at No. 4 with 18.1 million a disappointing reunion of the Wedding Crashers -- roughly half of that movie's opening (and half of The Purge's take this weekend against amuch higher budget). Epic rounds out the Top 5 with 12.1 million and 84.2 million total against a 100 million budget. Below the fold After Earth plummets to the seventh slot and 46.6 million total against a 130 million budget.

EGYPT: The United States recently agreed to continue providing Egypt with 1.3 billion in military aid despite concerns of rights issues. President Morsi said calls for new elections by the opposition "absurd."

INDONESIA: Organizers of the "Miss World" contest in Jakarta announced yesterday that contestants would no longer be wearing bikinis and would dress more conservatively. Hardline Islamist groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia and the Islam Reformist Movement (Garis), which is linked with the Islamic Defenders Front, were not placated, and today warned they may organize protests against the September event.

IRAN: The Revolutionary Guards, a military force over 100000 strong which also controls swathes of Iran's economy, is widely assumed to have fixed the presidential vote last time around, silenced those who protested and to be preparing to anoint a favored candidate this year, having already narrowed down the field.

THE UNITED STATES: Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan, representing himself in court, told the judge that he gunned down US soldiers because they posed an immediate danger to Mullah Omar and other Taliban leadership.

SYRIA: Rebel forces in Qusayr have been bolstered by reinforcements, including Aleppo's Tawhid Brigade and the commander of the Aleppo Military Council. East Reef Aleppo rebels stormed the rebel Sharia Court's prison in al-Sfeira city and freed eight colleagues. Rockets launched from the rebel-held al-Adawi area of Damascus landed near the Russian Embassy. France claimed that the Syrian government had used sarin gas, while the US said it is still gathering evidence.

EGYPT: A court sentenced 43 people, including 19 Americans, to jail terms ranging from one to five years for working at "unregistered" NGOs. Secretary of State Kerry condemned the sentences and said it was a "politically-motivated trial." A youth activist was sentenced to six months in jail for insulting President Morsi.